SOLSC, March 10, 2017

Today’s slice is actually my husband’s slice but it is too good not to share. As we walked the dogs around the block before dinner he told me that an interesting thing happened when he took our pup for a hike. He was in the foothills with her where we can walk with our dogs off leash. Hallie was running amok, as she is wont to do, when my husband came up behind a man strolling the trail. The man asked him if he could please leash his dog as his wife was scared of dogs. Of course, my husband leashed her up right away. The wife was about 25-30 yards further ahead, standing close to a tree, almost hiding behind it. As my husband drew closer he noticed she was dressed in full hijab, or niqab. She turned her back to him as he passed with the dog clearly trying to avoid our dog.

He continued his hike and when he came back down the trail some time later, he saw the same woman up ahead of him, with her husband another 25-30 yards beyond down the trail. He leashed up the pup and slowed down as he passed. He let her know that he was coming and asked if she wanted him to walk further around her to give her some space. She told him she was okay, she was just going to look the other direction. She turned away from him as he passed and all was well.

Further down the trail, the man stopped my husband. He said thank you. Not just a simple thank but a heartfelt bow of gratitude. He said he had not seen such kindness and thoughtfulness in a long time. He graciously acknowledged that which is good in my spouse. The two kept talking and it turned out that the couple were visiting their daughter who is in school at the University. She was horribly homesick and so they came to visit her, all the way from Kuwait. The gentleman has diabetes and needed to get outside to walk every day. He thanked my husband over and over again for how kind he was to his wife, clearly very touched by what my husband would do to anyone on any day. Apparently, they did not feel like everyone.

I am glad that for just a few moments of their day here in the US that they felt welcome, respected, and just like everyone else. I am sure it is not always like that.

All it takes is small moments like this to change the world. It can be done.